nfl playoff predictions: wild card round

cincinnati at houston

the houston texans, for the better part of the year, were the number one seed in the afc. then in the last week of the season, they not only lose the number one seed and having home field advantage throughout the playoffs, they lose having a bye week to start the playoffs. fortunately, they play a bengal team that doesn't have any offensive weapons other than a.j. green. while the bengals' defense has played well overall, gary kubiak, who is second to only mike krzyzewski [age 65] in sporting a overly black hair dye job, should be able to employ a gameplan that uses zone blocking scheme and play-action to move the ball on offense, especially if the texans start with more than a one possession lead.

the pick : houston

minnesota at green bay

green bay is one replacement referee snafu away from having a bye this week, but instead they play a team that beat them the previous week in a game where both teams were trying to win. the packers can still win even if adrian peterson has a big day, but they must limit his runs from sustaining long drives. in a game where the team with home field advantage probably wins, the packers' offense should be able to build a lead that takes the ball out of peterson's hands.

the pick : green bay

indianapolis at baltimore

even though this will [probably] be ray lewis' last game, he will [probably] not make much of a positive impact as he is still recovering from what was first believed to be a season-ending injury. this game mostly hinges on how well joe flacco can play and how well the ravens' defense can overcome injuries from key positions. the ravens also benefit from playing this game at home, where their record has been exceptional. throughout the season, the colts have played well enough to stay close to their opposition in the fourth quarter and get game-winning drives led by andrew luck [which sounds exactly like what the broncos did with tim tebow last year, yet it is so, so different]. key factors in this game include jim caldwell's lack of experience in play-calling and whether chuck pagano's inspirational story continues to translate to his player's play on the field.

the pick : baltimore

seattle at washington

a selection committee could not scheduled a better game in the first round of this year's playoffs. rookie quarterbacks robert griffin iii and russell wilson are both dynamic players who have already earned the respect of the veterans around them. while robert griffin iii's team has won seven games in a row, russell wilson's team may be the hotter team given their recent dominating victories. seattle also has the pass rushers to slow down robert griffin iii in the pocket, and an elite secondary that can contain robert griffin iii in the air. but with that said, the emergence of alfred morris may help the redskins avoid seattle's defense's strengths. in what seems to be an even matchup, home field advantage may decide the winner in this game, since seattle is a mediocre road team at best.

the pick : washington

nfl weekly predictions: wild card round

ny jets at cincinnati

while it has been widely documented that mark sanchez is a rookie quarterback starting on the road in a playoff game, not much has been said about how carson palmer only had one 300 yard passing game and six games under 200 yards passing [not including the final game where he was rested after the first quarter] and how he has basically turned into an above average 'game manager.' [the label 'game manager' always seemed to be a backhanded compliment. analysts say that they don't win games, but they don't lose them either. so not being able to win a game is supposed to be a good thing?] case in point, the bengals have relied on their excellent running game and their solid defense to win games, though carson palmer did play well in the clutch. but that isn't to say that carson palmer is still an elite quarterback or that he doesn't deserve any credit, but rather that he's become a glorified brad johnson. with that said, the bengals should be able to dispatch the jets [or as jets fans and trey wingo like to call them, the 'j-e-t-s jets jets jets!']. the jets enjoyed a favorable schedule where they didn't have to play against the first string of two playoff teams, which has them looking like they're playing better than they really are. and on a side note, it would be surprising to hear that chad ochocinco actually injured his knee when he slipped and fell during warmups last week. the only thing that he hurt from that fall was his pride.

the pick : cincinnati

philadelphia at dallas

did andy reid play rope-a-dope last week against the cowboys last week? did he not show everything that his team could do so that he could save plays for the rematch? perhaps. if this is true, some may think that he is a genius. but considering the circumstances that if the eagles won, not only would they not play the cowboys in the wild card round, they would have clinched a FIRST ROUND BYE. so, suppose andy reid decided to play conservatively and throw the game in order to show the cowboys what they can really do in a "game that matters," he basically is saying that he'd rather have to win a game on the road to earn a second round berth than rest his players and do nothing to get into the second round, in addition to playing that game at home. with that in mind, the eagles may have an advantage because they didn't show everything in their playbook and perhaps the cowboys come into the game a bit overconfident. maybe andy reid is a genius after all.

the pick : philadelphia

baltimore at new england

in previous seasons, the ravens' defensive players believed they had to return a interception or a fumble for a touchdown by any means necessary, even if they had to take risks by utilizing the lateral. such risks were justified though, with the reason being that the defense had little or no confidence that trent dilfer or kyle boller could lead a scoring drive even with favourable field position. this year the ravens offense is the best they've had in their franchise's relatively short history, but ray lewis and ed reed still lead a ball-hawking defense that laterals the ball as much as any other nfl team that played before the forward pass was legalized. all of which is moot with brady and belichick, as they seem to do their best when games matter more, especially when they play at home.

the pick : new england

green bay at arizona

the arizona cardinals super bowl berth in last year's playoffs was surprising to many, mostly because no one believed the nfc west could produce anything more than terrible football teams. this year's cardinals team seems no different, but for some reason no one expects them to do much in the playoffs, mostly because the nfc west doesn't produce anything more than terrible football teams. on the other side, the packers have had a fairly good season, but their well-known losses at the hands of brett favre and the vikings has given people the lasting impression of not being able to protect aaron rodgers and being downright awful. while the former may be the true, the latter is not. in a game where the packers and cardinals can score points with the best of them, the packers superior defense should be the difference.

the pick : green bay

2008 ncaa men's basketball tournament

editor's note: click on the bracket to be able to actually read it.

yes, i know that i have all four number one seeds making the final four. and yes, i know that has never happened. and yes, i know people who don't watch about college basketball usually have all four number one seeds making the final four, mostly because those people can't fathom a number one seed ever losing to a lower seed [even though it happens every year]. but none of those statements are legitimate reasons as to why all four number one seeds won't make it to the final four this year.

nfl weekly predictions: super bowl xlii

ny giants vs new england

analysis : if when the patriots win the super bowl, their perfect season will be as tainted as if the penguins had won the stanley cup in the movie sudden death. for example, in the first game of the year, the patriots cheated by illegally videotaping their opponents. similarly in sudden death, the penguins unknowingly played a non-roster player in van damme as goalie for a sequence in the third period¹ of game 7 of stanley cup finals. both teams did not play by the rules. but anyway, as far as the actual game is concerned [and not the overwhelming amount of useless super bowl hype], the patriots should continue their offensive dominance against a team that nobody expects to win. with that being said, here's what the giants need to do to win: be able to sustain long offensive possessions, win 3rd downs on both sides of the ball, score points or provide exceptional field position via special teams, win the turnover battle by at least two and pressure tom brady on a consistent basis. call it a hunch, but that might be too tall an order for the giants. and although it looks like the tom coughlin-eli manning combination may not be as bad as i thought it was, it still pales in comparison to that of bill belichick and tom brady. also, it's still funny that in the 2008 nfc championship game, tom coughlin looked like he had overslept in a tanning bed. in the end, the patriots will be too much for the giants and cause don shula and mercury morris and the rest of the '72 miami dolphins to seek depression counseling now that their sole reason to live will have been taken away [though i do like that the '72 miami dolphins can't do their dumb champagne celebration after the final unbeaten team loses, it's just too bad that it had to because of this patriots team].

the pick : new england

¹ in the song 'nothing better' by the postal service, there is a lyric that goes 'like a goalie tending the net in the third quarter.' i've always had a problem with this line because i can't think of a sport with a goalie that divides a game in quarters. hockey [which i'm assuming is what ben gibbard was referencing] has three periods, rendering quarters an impossibility, and soccer has halves.

nfl weekly predictions: conference championships

san diego at new england

analysis : this party's over.

the pick : new england

ny giants at green bay

analysis : i have no idea how the giants' offense have been playing so well; perhaps rich rodriguez has been helping them by implementing new plays. as for this week's game, it's reported that the weather during this game will be sub-zero, which will be miserable for both teams no matter what the packers' players may say. much like peyton manning, eli does not fare well in the cold and will probably struggle in these conditions. furthermore, if the field is in the same sloppy conditions as it was last week, expect the giants' defensive front four to have difficulty applying a strong pass rush; they won't have the footing to get upfield. the packers' offense would then be able to establish both the passing and running game.

the pick : green bay

nfl weekly predictions: divisional playoffs

seattle at green bay

analysis : the packers are a good team, but they haven't had any convincing wins this year. it seems as though that they weren't challenged in any of their victories, so it's hard to tell how good they are. on the other side, the seahawks do have a quality team, with their biggest susceptibility being a lack of focus. since this is the playoffs, i expect them to be able to concentrate on the matters at hand. in the end, the deciding factor will be the overall playoff experience for the seahawks compared to relative lack of experience for the packers [save for brett favre].

the pick : seattle

jacksonville at new england

analysis : the real reason why people are picking the jaguars to win this game is because they want the jaguars to win this game. yes, the jaguars do have a good running game, and they have a good defense, but the patriots are simply the superior team. against the jaguars, the patriots' offense will be able to do anything they want against the jaguars, and on defense, all they have to do is keep the jaguars' offense in check. while david garrard has had a good season, i expect him to struggle against the patriots defense. and even though he has only thrown three regular season interceptions, i predict that garrard will throw multiple interceptions in this game.

the pick : new england

san diego at indianapolis

analysis : in their regular season meeting, the chargers needed six peyton manning interceptions, a missed 29 field goal by future hall-of-famer adam vinatieri AND two kick return touchdowns just to beat the colts by two points in san diego. that game was also played in bad weather, which is significant since peyton manning is notorious for playing poorly in unfavorable conditions. this week's playoff game will be in the rca dome, which will protect peyton manning from the climate. i expect the colts to easily handle the chargers on both offense and defense.

the pick : indianapolis

ny giants at dallas

analysis : it seems as though that only people in the media believe that the tony romo-jessica simpson 'saga' will distract the cowboys this week; the players and the fans are the ones who are able to keep things in perspective. for me, the more interesting part of the mexican vacation¹ is the presence of jason witten. seriously, what was he doing there? i seriously doubt tony romo invited jason witten to come with him on a weekend getaway with jessica simpson. jason witten must have never been to mexico and when tony romo let it slip out that he was going, he didn't have the heart to not let witten come with him. anyway, the cowboys will be looking to beat the giants for the third time this year, which experts say is difficult to do. but i ask, why? what exactly is the rationale? any advantage that the losing team may gain from the previous two games, the winning team can gain as well. will the losing team be more motivated? i think not. as for the game, the cowboys have been able to exploit the giants secondary and the giants have had difficulty slowing the cowboys early. i'm still not sold on eli manning being a successful playoff quarterback; i'm waiting for the other shoe to drop on the tom coughlin-eli manning combination.

the pick : dallas

¹ surpisingly, this is yet a national lampoon's movie. if and when it is made, i'm sure chevy chase will be available.

nfl weekly predictions: wild card round

washington at seattle

analysis : the redskins are 4-0 since todd collins has become their quarterback [including the game against the bears where he entered with the scoreless], which arguably kept joe gibbs as their coach for at least another year. clinton portis also played well late in the season and looks like the player he was before a stupid 2006 preseason shoulder injury.¹ though the redskins are playing inspired football, they do not have the talent to beat the seahawks in seattle. they have holes at linebacker, which will be exploited by the designed short passes out of the west coast offensive system. save for santana moss [who is probably better at running track than catching a football], they have little speed on offense, especially in contrast to the seahawks' defense.

the pick : seattle

jacksonville at pittsburgh

analysis : the jaguars have already beatdown the steelers in heinz field just three weeks ago, so it follows that they shouldn't have any problems with the steelers this time around. with that being said, the biggest difference will be that overall, the steelers players have more playoff experience. as for their coach, mike tomlin, it will be his first playoff game, so in a way it cancels out each other. on the other hand, the jaguars have fallen short in recent playoff games, but this season they have a quarterback in david garrard who doesn't make too many mistakes, and a defense that is both physical and fast.

the pick : jacksonville

ny giants at tampa bay

analysis : the tom coughlin-eli manning combo is essentially the antithesis of the bill belichick-tom brady combo, which is a bad sign for the giants and its fans. i can already see tom coughlin with an exasperated look on after eli throws a back-breaking interception in the red zone. the biggest obstacle for the buccaneers will be moving the ball on offense, where their playbook basically consist of short passes, one yard runs by earnest graham and the occasional bomb to joey galloway. not really what you'd expect from a jon gruden, a so-called 'offensive genius.' fortunately for the buccaneers, the giants have a penchant of playing poorly late in games and ultimately that will result in multiple confused looks on the faces of tom coughlin and eli manning.

the pick : tampa bay

tennessee at san diego

analysis : the titans do not have many advantages over the chargers, except for the distinct superiority at head coach. jeff fisher is an experienced [and more importantly, successful] coach, as opposed to norv turner, who is one bad season away from working at a bed-and-breakfast for the rest of his life [or until al davis calls and offers him a coaching job]. the chargers will be playing at home, where they have had a good record in recent years. as for the titans, they have already lost to the chargers in tennessee this year, although the chargers were fortunate to win that game. it also seems as though the titans' staff would rather start kerry collins after his performance last week, but are afraid because of what of the naacp may do to them if they don't start vince young. i wouldn't be surprised if the titans start vince young, but after he and the titans struggle, he comes out after 're-aggravating' his injury. kerry collins then enters the game, only to struggle just as much.

the pick : san diego

¹ not only did portis' injury occur in the preseason, it happened as he tackled a defensive player who had just intercepted a pass. this injury caused portis to miss many games and play injured for most of the 2006 season. more notably, because of this injury many fantasy football seasons were derailed as he was a solid first round pick.